//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Trixie's New Big Red Life // by Captain-Brony //------------------------------// Trixie quietly grumbled to herself as she followed the small little filly in to a circle of bushes. She couldn't believe that big red oaf had managed to get one up on her, he certainly didn't LOOK like the intellectual type...then again she wouldn't have taken him for a colt to take in another pony out of the kindness of his heart either. "Oh wow!!" Apple Bloom's small shout snapped Trixie out of her thoughts. "The berries are really ripe today!!" The youngest of the applefamily had positioned herself at the far end of the bushes so Trixie put herself at the opposite side. The job seemed simple enough, just put the berries in to her satchel pouches. Her horn glowed it's usual color as the berries on her side started to float up in to the air and into her pouches. At this rate she would be done in under five minutes and then she'd be enjoying a hearty breakfast. "Spike!!" cried the young filly. Trixie craned her neck around to see a small purple dragon walking towards them. He seemed vaguely familiar but she couldn't quite place where she had seen him. It was when he saw her and gave her an unimpressed kind of look that it all came flooding back to her. He was with those neigh-sayers during the night of her show, cheering them on. "Him?! What's he doing here?!" sneered Trixie. Spike crossed his arms looking sternly at her "I could say the same thing about you!" "Spike here has a real eye for finding the gems in our catch. Twilight told me this one time when she was helping my big sister Applejack carry apples he found this real scrum-didly-umptious one. So I asked him to come by and do the same thing with our berries so we can enjoy them for breakfast." "Now you explain to me what a liar like Trixie is doing here at Sweet Apple Acres?" "Big Macintosh took her in so she'll be staying with us for a while." Spike only responded by raising his eyebrow slightly. "Well I guess I should get started." he said giving Trixie one last look. It was as Spike was digging into Apple Bloom's pouch that Trixie finished her side. She started walking back towards the house, the sound of Spike sorting the berries in the background. "Where ya goin'?" She stopped at the sound of Apple Bloom's voice. "Trixie got all of her berries so I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, am done." Apple Bloom frowned "Ya didn't pick all of them did ya?" "Of course I did, Trixie wants her cussing breakfast!" Apple Bloom shook her head "That's not good. Some of those berries are all shriveled up and dead." Trixie's eyes widened, she hadn't been aware of that. "Ah know! Spike can help!" cheered Apple Bloom "Excuse me?" queried Trixie. Spike walked over to them with his arms folded. "Yeah, I'd like to repeat that. Excuse me?" "Trixie can make all the berries float out of her bags and then Spike could point out all the bad ones." "And why should the Great and Powerful Trixie agree to something like that?" Spike narrowed his eyes at her. "Twilight would do it." "And exactly WHO is Twilight?" Spike smirked a little. "You know, Twilight, Twilight Sparkle. Also known as the purple unicorn that managed to settle the Ursa Minor that you failed to do." It was Trixie's turn to narrow her eyes. "Oh. Her." Yes, although she had never bothered to learn the pony's name, Trixie would never forget her. "Well what's so special about her anyways?!" Spike's smirk got a little bigger. "You mean besides the Urs…" "Yes besides the Ursa Minor incident!" snapped Trixie. Apple Bloom took a small step back away from Trixie but Spike's smirk just got bigger. "Well the fact that she's Celestia's protégé doesn't hurt." Trixie froze as this new information sunk in to her brain. "Celestia? As in Princess Celestia?" Spike nodded with an aura of smugness about him. "That's right. Princess Celestia of Equestria. And the fact that Twilight is always reading through books for new magical abilities doesn't hurt either." Trixie slapped her forehead with her hoof. (which actually kind of hurt, not that she would ever admit that to anyone.) But it was no wonder 'Twilight' had done the things that she did. How the hey was Trixie supposed to compete with the student of the ruler of the country?! She didn't know that she got that powerful through books, made sense when she thought about it though. Knowledge was power after all, and she made a mental note to go to the library at some point so she could do some 'research'. All of the berries in Trixie's satchel pouches suddenly flew open and all of her berries came floating out. The hung in the air magically for all to see. "Well? Get to work dragon! The Great and Powerful Trixie has done just as she has been asked and now we're all waiting on you!" she sneered. "Wasn't so great and powerful last time I checked." Spike grumbled quietly to himself. So Spike walked through the floating berries, batting to the ground any rotten/dead berries that he came across. "Okay, I'm done." announced Spike. The berries spike hadn't knocked down floated back into Trixie's satchel pouches. "Well, mah bags are all full too. Let's head back to the house." cheered Apple Bloom. "Just a second." Trixie called. Apple bloom and Spike turned around looking at her quizzically. Trixie made her horn glow and pointed it down to the berries that Spike had knocked down. In a light blue flash the berries were transformed in to full flush and fresh berries. Apple Bloom's face lit up in amazement. "Wow!! That's amazing Trixie!!" Trixie smiled proudly. "Oh yes. I know. That is the power of the Great and Powerful Trixie! So tell me little dragon, can your 'amazing Twilight' do that?" Spike was stunned looking puzzled "I…I don't know. Never really asked if she could do stuff like that." "Well Ah think it's spectacular!!" Apple Bloom said as she looked up at Trixie with sparkles in her eyes. She had apparently gained a brand new hero that day. "But of course it is. Shall we return so Trixie can finally have her breakfast?" "Sure thing! Wanna come and have breakfast with us Spike?" Spike scratched the back of his head, still thinking about Trixie's berries. "No thanks. I should get back to Twilight…I need to check something with her." Apple Bloom shrugged. "Suit yourself." Apple Bloom turned back to Trixie only to see a bouquet of flowers waiting for her. "Consider this a gift from Trixie, for showing exquisite taste in unicorns." Trixie smiled as Apple Bloom started to hug the bouquet. "Ah'm gonna go plant these right now!!" she beamed. Trixie raised her eyebrow at the idea of the filly planting the flowers she had just magically conjured up. But she shrugged and started to walk back towards the house, being sure to bring the berries she had fixed magically. It was a short trot back to the house yet somehow Apple Bloom still had managed to beat her to the kitchen. The kitchen table was covered with various breakfast items like fruit, pancakes, and hay. And in the center of it all was a large empty bowl waiting to be filled. Big Macintosh was already seated, smiling at Trixie expectantly. He looked down at the empty bowl, then at her, seeing if she could get the silent message that he was sending her. It took Trixie a moment but she got the message soon enough and levitated all of her berries out of her pouches and filed them neatly in to the bowl. Big Macintosh nodded approvingly as the rest of the Applefamily came to the table. Granny Smith took notice of Trixie after staring in her direction for a moment. "Whose this?" she asked in a kind voice. "This here…" Applejack said with some distaste. "Is a hoity toity unicorn who…" "Applejack! You show some manners at the table young lady!" scolded Big Macintosh. Applejack flinched noticeably but put on a fake grin, and said through gritted teeth. "This here is Trixie the unicorn. She will be staying with us for a while." Granny Smith nodded as she absorbs this information and then gave Trixie a warm smile. "Well she looks very sweet." "Amazing how looks can be deceiving." grumbled Applejack under her breath. "Try the berries, me and Trixie got some real juicy ones." Shrugging Applejack grabbed a hoof full and plopped them into her mouth. But she started to chew more and more slowly as she noticed something with a final gulp she glared at Trixie. "Whadjya do to our berries?!" she snapped. Apple Bloom took in a breath in surprise, she had tried some of the berries Trixie had fixed and ,while they were tasty, they still tasted only like berries. "Huh? But big sis, how did you know that…" "Ah knows magic whens Ahs' taste it. Whadjya do?!" Instead of cowering under Applejack's interrogating gaze like Apple Bloom often did, Trixie sat up straight and smiled rather smugly. "It was really a trifle for a unicorn of MY magical abilities, I simply turned the dead and shriveled berries into fresh ripe ones." "One problem with that. Look what happens when yer magic wears off." Some of the berries in the bowl glowed Trixie's color and reverted back to dead berries. "W-W-Well…" Trixie desperately tried to find some way to still make herself look good. "Well, picking berries is still too trivial of a task for the Great and Powerful Trixie. My talents are being wasted on such menial work." Applejack grinned mischievously as she stood up. "Oh you want some REAL work huh? Well Ah think Ah can help y'all out with that! Come on, get yer boastin self down to the barn so…" Applejack was cut off by the sound of Big Macintosh clearing his throat. "Now Applejack, Ah respect the fact that you're head of the farm, and ya done a better job wit it than Ah ever would. Right proud of you too. But Ah am still head of this family, and Ah say she don't do no more work till she finishes her breakfast. Most important meal of the day, ya know?" Trixie smiled appreciatively. Applejack was stunned and hung her mouth open. "Y'all can't be serious are ya?!" "Eeyup." Applejack pulled her hat over her head in frustration.